concepts
interpersonal concepts
semiotic, linguistic, and discursive orientations
social-interactional orientations
Speech act theory, most commonly associated with the work of John Searle, explains how messages express speakers' intentions. Traditionally, meaning was viewed as the referents of words and grammar, but speech act theory widens the concept to include the expressed intentions behind utterances. [Source: Encyclopedia of Communication Theory; Speech Act Theory]
speech act theory